Turkey's atrocities

April 14, 1995

Turkey's atrocities

Regarding the editorial ''Unsplendid Little War,'' April 3: The recent developments in Kurdish Northern Iraq are sad but not surprising. It is the fourth time during this century that Turkey has committed atrocities against its neighbors and its peoples.

The genocide of 1.5 million Armenians; the ''ethnic cleansing'' of 300,000 Greeks living in Istanbul and Asia Minor; the invasion, occupation, and settling of Northern Cyprus; and the century-long effort to change the identity of Kurds to ''Mountain Turks'' are only some of the atrocities and unjust actions committed this century by a state that would like to be called ''modern.''

Turkey has been permitted the latest invasion because of its strategic location next to Iraq, which the United States values more than human rights and freedom.

The Turkish military has only one target: to turn the attention of the Turks outside their borders. But the only thing they will accomplish is the lasting hatred of the Kurdish people.

Takis Metaxas, Wellesley, Mass.

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